No heroes beating up a hundred baddies accompanied by ear-drum splitting sound effects, no villains threatening to drop the hero’s parents into a vat of acid, no item song by an A-list movie star who plays sanskari heroine in every movie but secretly wishes she were Helen, no reminiscing over good ole days, no nationalist agenda either. But director Kiran Rao makes so much magic that the entire audience allows the Laapataa Ladies (Lost Ladies) to steal their hearts and step out of the theatre with a smile on their faces from excellent storytelling.
The story is simple: There are too many newlywed couples in a general compartment of the train going from one small unknown station to an even more unknown destination. Deepak Kumar (our hero) wakes up the veiled wife (Phool) and gets off the train in the dead of the night to catch the last bus home. But the veiled bride is someone else’s! He brings home Pushpa Rani instead! Meanwhile the real bride lands up somewhere else. Is Pushpa Rani part of a gang that robs unsuspecting grooms? Will Deepak be reunited with his Phool?
The story is told with so much love, humour and gentle slaps in life lessons, this should be the best film of the year.
Tiny Laapataa Ladies takes on international big ticket Dune 2
Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya are ready to continue their spice saga on planet Arrakis in the much publicised international award winning film Dune 2. Laapataa Ladies on the other hand has unknown actors as main leads and are supported magnificently by Ravi Kishen as the sleazy ‘mawa’ (tobacco) chewing cop and the brilliant Chhaya Kadam as Manju Maai tea stall owner.
I’m not saying don’t watch it. I am glad to see Laapataa Ladies like the proverbial David stand up to Goliath and tell a brilliant story that can be watched again and again.
Let’s say you invest in a company that is already a world leader. You won’t lose your money, but how much room is there to grow? Invest in a smart up and coming smaller company that will explode into something big!
It’s all about trust
The bride who has been covered in a red veil cannot see the road ahead, and is told to just watch the step beneath her feet and follow her husband blindly. The wedding photograph too hides her face because social norms demand modesty. Even the shopkeeper comments that covering the face is like hiding the woman’s identity.
Smart investors know that you cannot survive in this world of commerce by trust alone. Read documents before signing, do not trust anything or anyone blindly with your hard earned money!
The incredible significance of education
Phool is married off to Deepak but she doesn’t know the name of the village she will be living in for the rest of her life. She’s only been taught to cook and clean and look after her inlaws. Pushpa aka Jaya has been told to get married (or the mother threatens to kill herself) instead of getting an education in farming (Jaya has topped the entrance exam that 800 boys and 86 girls took!).
The joy on Phool’s face when Manju Mai presses money into her hands, saying that she has earned it, will remind you, dear investor, of your own joy when you saw that first salary being credited into a freshly created bank account. Also, invest in educating your own kids – girl or boy – and watch them blossom in the field of their choice. Who knows, you (or your kids) might do better in what they love doing instead of being pushed into a choice being made for them.
Also Read: All India Rank: Euler’s Math Formula gives these 5 money lessons
When opportunity knocks, answer the door!
Jaya has been forced into a marriage with a rich man who is suspected of killing his first wife. Her father has sold land to accumulate the 15 tolas of gold and a motorbike (tank filled!). Her mother says,’If you are a good wife, then your husband will let you study like you want to.’
But Jaya knows the probability of that happening is nil when her groom insults her mother when there’s a few thousand less in the cash dowry. That adds to Jaya’s frustration. When Deepak asks her to step off the train, mistaking her for his Phool, Jaya follows him quietly, taking that chance to escape the horrid groom and his loud family.
Her escape (wearing all her jewellery) and her struggle for freedom is as gut wrenching as it is fun. As an investor, risk taking is a way of life. Sometimes you hesitate and live with the status quo. But should you take that risk and plunge into investing in something different, you may have to face a little music at first, but the returns could have you laughing all the way to the bank!
Don’t let anyone dismiss Laapataa Ladies as a slice of life film about educating girls. Each member of the ensemble cast is like your portfolio: varied and individually talented. I have kept these money lessons spoiler free, but I know you too will find many more money learnings in the film and emerge from the theatre with a smile plastered across your face.
Manisha Lakhe is a poet, film critic, traveller, founder of Caferati — an online writer’s forum, hosts Mumbai’s oldest open mic, and teaches advertising, films and communication. She can be reached on Twitter at @manishalakhe.
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Published: 02 Mar 2024, 10:59 AM IST